Expert calls for delayed return to class
Greece should delay the return to school for students for one week amid skyrocketing Covid-19 case counts largely driven by the Omicron variant, a top health expert said Saturday.
Students are set to return to class on January 10.
Speaking on Skai TV, Nikolaos Tzanakis, an expert in respiratory disease and vice president of the Hellenic Thoracic Society, said that one in seven people under 20 is considered an active Covid-19 case, adding that if schools open on schedule they are likely to close again after five to 10 days.
“Omicron is very aggressive, highly transmissible,” Tzanakis said. “Would you rather have parents stay at home with their children in good health or at home, unable to work, with their children sick?,” he said.
Greece reported 40,560 Covid-19 cases Friday, setting a new record high for the fourth successive day. Health authorities said 76 deaths had been registered Friday.
Tzanakis Saturday predicted that the average number of confirmed daily cases will rise to 55,000 in the coming days, adding he expects the numbers to stabilize no earlier than January 15.
